Gertrude Hyjek, Longtime Manchester Dance Teacher, Dies At 91

Gertrude Tyler Hyjek owned and operated the Gertrude G. Tyler School of Dance in Manchester for 39 years. She died April 17, leaving behind generations of students called "Tylerettes." She was 91.

Known better to her students as Miss Trudy and professionally as Gertrude Tyler, Hyjek was born and raised in Manchester and lived in the town her entire life. She operated the dance studio from 1948 until her retirement in 1987.

Hyjek's former students use the words elegance, grace, old school, perfection and inspiration when they describe her as a dancer and a teacher.

"She was a technician and a very beautiful dancer," said Judy Williams Henry, a former student. "You saw somebody who was passionate about what she did. She didn't just teach kids how to do steps and have a recital, she taught you how to flow through space. Essentially that taught you how to flow through life."

Hyjek began dancing when she was 4 years old. In her retirement, she taught dance classes at the Manchester Senior Center. And on her 80th birthday, she was honored by the Town of Manchester for her contributions to the arts.

Patty Monseglio, who began taking classes with Hyjek when she was 4, said the lessons she learned went beyond the dance studio.

"Trudy always tried to encourage," Monseglio said. "She never belittled. She always tried to pull the best out of every single one of the kids."

Before opening her studio, Hyjek had a successful career as a dancer. She worked with legends of the business, her students said, including the well-known Russian choreographer George Balanchine.

At her studio, which was at three different locations in Manchester over its 40-year existence, Hyjek taught jazz, tap, ballet, acrobat and other dance styles to both children and adults.

"Her life was teaching in Manchester," said her granddaughter Jackie Warwick. "That, to her, meant everything."

Many of her students were like extended family, men and women she kept in touch with her entire life through visits, phone calls, holiday cards and letters. The notes were always signed "Dancingly Yours," her trademark signature.

She also included her family in dance, giving lessons to her only son, the late John Tyler, and her grandchildren.

"She had a confidence in herself that she passed onto others," said Sue Clancy, another former student. "She always danced from the heart."

At Hyjek's recitals, which were co-produced along with her husband of 51 years, Edwin Hyjek, she would always perform a solo routine that her students looked forward to.

"She aimed for perfection in her dance," Monseglio said. "When she danced, herself, you could see the training she had. You could see her whole soul when she danced. It was very emotional."

Hyjek's lasting impact can also be found in the accomplishments of her former students. Henry is a dance teacher and choreographer herself and operates the Movement Laboratory studio in Pennsylvania.

"She's been an inspiration to me in my studio and the way I teach," Henry said. "Every child has something to give to dance and it's up to the teacher to bring that out in the child."

Miss Trudy's many students said they will never forget their time with her.

"She shared her love of dance with me," Clancy said. "She loved people and she loved teaching. She never stopped dancing."